News

Alumni Happenings

Oct. 5 – Oct. 18, 2022

For the first time in 10 years, Mars, Incorporated has introduced a new M&M character and
“spokescandy” – Purple. And Purple is harnessing the power of music to showcase her
individuality with the release of her first music single, “I’m Just Gonna Be Me.” The creative
team responsible for the single features none other than 2008 Workshop alum saxophonist
Grace Kelly, who makes a cameo appearance in the video launch here. Sweet! If you want to
catch a live Kelly performance, her upcoming dates are listed in Performances, below.

Performances

Grace Kelly (2008 saxophone) (see lead item, above) has an October 5 gig at Jazz Alley in Seattle
and then crosses the country for a number of east coast performances: October 7 at Jimmy’s
Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth NH; October 8 at the Isaac Harris Cary Memorial Building in
Lexington MA; October 9 at The Stationery Factory in Dalton MA; October 13 at The
Warehouse at FTC in Fairfield CT; October 14 at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC; October 15 in the
Epworth United Methodist Church during the Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival in Rehoboth Beach
DE; and October 18 at Blues Alley in Washington DC.

2002 piano alum Gerald Clayton has multi-night trio performances October 5-9 at the Village
Vanguard in NYC.

2014 saxophone alum Morgan Guerin performs at Nublu 151 in NYC on October 6.
You can catch trombonist Jeffery Miller (2013) on stage at Dizzy’s Club in NYC during a multi-
night engagement October 6-9.

Trumpeter Etienne Charles, with his sextet, presents the world premiere of his extended work,
San Juan Hill, for the New York Philharmonic at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in
NYC on October 8, featuring Sullivan Fortner (2002) on piano.

Pianist Isaiah J. Thompson (2014), back on tour with guitarist John Pizzarelli after appearing
with the Alumni Sextet during the 2022 Vail Jazz Party, performs at the Courtyard Hotel in Amelia Island FL on October 8 and at the Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival in Rehoboth Beach DE
on October 15.

1997 piano alum Robert Glasper continues his extended residency at the Blue Note in NYC and
performs there October 5-8 and October 11-15. Glasper takes time out from that residency for
a couple of performances at the Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Park in Austin TX, on
October 9 and on October 16. He and 2001 trumpet alum Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah are
featured performers and interviewees at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on October 14,
in a tribute to legendary bassist Charles Mingus during the centennial anniversary of Mingus’s
birth; the gig is broadcast via PBS. Glasper’s 1997 classmate, Terrace Martin (saxophone),
performs back-to-back dates with 2002 alum Marcus Gilmore (drums) October 9-10 at the Blue
Note in NYC; and Glasper and Martin join for consecutive performances of Dinner Party there,
with special guests, October 11-12 and October 13-15.

2003 piano alum Jeremy Siskind performs at Jazz Vespers in Fresno CA on October 9. Siskind is
guest artist at the New York State Music Teachers Association Conference in Syracuse NY on
October 15. Then, on October 18, Siskind performs with bassist Jay Anderson and singer-
songwriter Matt Wilson at Mezzrow in NYC.

Trumpeter Anthony Hervey (2014) continues touring with vocalist Michael Buble, including
performances at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on October 10 and at KeyBank Center in Buffalo
NY on October 11.

You can catch trumpeter Brandon Lee (2000) in a jam session at Ardmore Music Hall in
Ardmore PA on October 12.

Saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (2007), on tour with trumpeter Chris Botti, makes stops at
the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Easton PA on October 14 and the Troy Savings Bank
Music Hall in Troy NY on October 15.

1999 saxophone alum Lakecia Benjamin and her band Pursuance provide live accompaniment
to the Pam Tanowitz Dance company in the October 14 world premiere of “Walk With Me,” a
Penn Live Arts celebration of the music of John and Alice Coltrane at the Annenberg Center for
the Performing Arts in Philadelphia. Benjamin performs there again on October 16 in “Alice &
John: A Coltrane Festival,” during the 50 th anniversary season of Penn Live Arts, where she is
Artistic Advisor.

Saxophonist Natalie Barbieri (2019) takes part in “Face to Face” tribute performances to the
music of Billy Joel and Elton John on October 15 and 16 at Oysterfest at Café Al Dente in Oyster
Bay, NY.

Trumpeter Keyon Harrold (1997) appears at the Blue Note in NYC on October 16 and October
18.

Recordings

Between All Things is the new album by OHMA, a duo comprised of multi-instrumentalist Mia
Garcia and 2007 saxophone alum Hailey Niswanger; listen to “A Primordial Dance.”

Bassist Noah Garabedian’s new quartet album, Consider the Stars Beneath Us, features Jimmy
Macbride (2008) on drums. Listen to “Pendulum for NG.”

Chris Fishman (2014 piano) and Aidan Lombard (2012 trumpet) contribute to multi-
instrumentalist Louis Cole’s new album, Quality Over Opinion, releasing October 14; listen to
“Dead Inside Shuffle.”

Guitarist Tim Fitzgerald’s newly-released debut album, Full House, features Greg Ward (1999)
on alto saxophone. Listen to “Far Wes.”

Bassist Adam Blackstone’s debut studio album, Legacy, features contributions from 1997
Workshop classmates Terrace Martin (saxophone) (listen to him on “Amongst the Stars”) and
Robert Glasper (piano) (listen to him on “My Winter”).

Guitarist Cloudchord (nee Derek VanScoter)’s new EP, Sundrop, opens with “Cryin’ Heart,”
which features Braxton Cook (2009) on saxophone.

Guitarist Kiki Wong has released a cover of metal band Rammstein’s “Deutschland,” and it
features 2008 alum Grace Kelly (see lead item, above) on saxophone. Here’s a video preview.

Recognitions, Awards & Other Items of Note

The Max Schwartz Band, led by 2015 bass alum Max Schwartz, was a finalist in the 2022
FreshGrass Awards competition at the bluegrass festival of that name held in North Adams MA
in late September. And Schwartz himself was a finalist in the banjo competition.
Congratulations, Max!